7 Tips for Your Intentional Relationship with Christ

Your Intentional Relationship with Christ

It’s the end of the day. How do you feel? Exhausted? Overwhelmed? ‘UP TO HERE!’ (imagine my hand held high above my head).

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Note: I originally wrote this post for the blog in 2014. I’ve recently updated it and am re-sharing with you as a reminder to take time for your intentional relationship with Jesus Christ.

When my day is done, sometimes exhaustion overwhelms me so I can barely think of what to serve for dinner much less make it (or even order it. sad, sad). I know I’m not the only one who has felt this way. From the minute my alarm sounds until the minute my head hits the pillow, it seems that it is go, go, go. Get myself ready, get my daughter ready, make sure my son is ready, my husband is ready, work all day, run errands, pick up the house, fix dinner, do dishes. We all know the drill, right?

How, in days like those, are we supposed to nourish our relationship with Jesus? There’s just NO TIME! I’m TOO BUSY!

Fortunately for us, Jesus always has time. Always. He waits for us, patient, steady, strong. In the days when we think we’re too busy to connect, He’s there. When we feel overwhelmed, stressed, and exhausted, physically mentally and spiritually, He’s there. We run and run and then wonder why we are so stressed out. It’s because we don’t see Him there!

Christ has not pulled away. We have. It’s up to us to make an intentional effort to nourish and grow our connection with Him. If we don’t make the choice to do that, we will suffer and we will have done that to ourselves.

So HOW can we be intentional and just WHAT should we do?

These are the things that help me:

1. Find a sacred space. Oh, it doesn’t need to be fancy or anything like that. It just needs to be quiet. Isolated. A space free of clutter is best. Clutter in your physical area causes clutter in your mind. I’m not judging, mind you. I tend to be a packrat. In my sacred space, though, in the corner of my bedroom, I’ve packed all the ‘things’ away except for a candle or two, my Bible, and a journal. This is where I go when I need my own space. No one else is allowed to be there with me except for God.

2. Light a candle. There’s something therapeutic about flickering flames. It doesn’t matter if it smells good or not. Just the burning flame brings calm.

4. Pray. Thank Him for the small things. And the big things. Tell Him what’s worrying you. Ask Him for healing for yourself and others. Don’t be afraid to tell Him everything. Yes, He knows anyway. But you’ll feel better for having made those things tangible by putting them in words even if the words are through thought. It’s easier to give tangible to God than it is the intangible.

5. Listen. No matter what, don’t leave this one out. Be still and listen to what He tells you. You might hear Him through your thoughts and ideas. Or it might come through your heart or your ‘gut’ as you feel peace or joy, as you ‘know’ what next to do. Quiet, stillness. Take time to listen.

6. Journal. Write down what you heard when you were listening. No matter how small it may be, write it down. It’s wonderful to look back and reflect on later. It will remind you that your relationship is a two-way deal. Try out one of these Christian journals from DaySpring:

7. Thank Him. He’s real. He’s here. He’s doing huge things for us when we let Him, so tell Him thanks. Appreciate and be grateful for Him and that will bleed over into your daily life.

Girls, if you need to schedule this time on your calendar to get you started, do it! It’s that important. It doesn’t even have to take a long time. Maybe some days you can only manage 10 minutes. Other days you can manage more. As long as you manage the time!

We will never think we have the time; that’s why we must make it. Schedule it, prepare the area, follow the steps.

Know Him and know how much He loves you because you are magnificent, and you are His. Always. Remember this at the end of each day.

This was such a great and uplifting post! I think many forget the “listening” point and focus more on telling! I love journalling and candles – it’s helped me really focus and have a more meaningful time. Thanks for this – going to be sharing 🙂

Emily, I agree. Journaling gives me a chance to slow down and reflect on my thoughts and connection with Him. Thank you so much for taking the time to comment and share what works for you. Bless you! ~Julie

Thank you so much for your post! I am definitely guilty of letting life get in the way of spending time with God. Every relationship we have we must put intentional work into, and our relationship with God is no different. Your post was very encouraging!

What a great list! I am guilty of putting other things ahead of my time with God. I get so mad at myself when I do that! I have started reading a devotional first, and then dig into God’s word. That really helps me get focused on Him. Thank you for the great ideas to get our minds focused on Christ:)

I really enjoy journaling. Also, simply reflecting on what He has done for me. It is so worth the time put out, for the results received 🙂
Thanks so much for sharing your heart with us, Rachael @ Diamonds in the Rough

I love the list, and I especially appreciate number 5. We are told from the time we are little to “Listen to God”, but rarely are we told the different ways he may “talk” to us. I’ve had times where my feelings that something must be done were overwhelming, when every time I would say “I just can’t” I would feel something akin to heartbreak. I look back and see that as God telling me “You must do this. NOW!”

I also love the idea of having a candle for prayer. Candles, to me, promote a feeling of closeness and privacy – I can see how lighting one would put you in the right frame of mind to have a heart to heart with God.

We do have to be intentional in our relationship with Christ. He have to make time for and with Him. A few months ago a few bloggers got together and wrote how we make time for our daily devotionals. The short segments can be found at http://www.beingfibromom.com/spend-time-god-dishes/

I’ve referred to this quite a few times to remind myself how simple meeting with God can be and how refreshing. So happy to have the internet and Pinterest to find awesome blessings like your post! Thank you!

I totally agree, we aren’t going to just find time, we have to make time with God a priority. It’s like tithing if you don’t take the money off the top you aren’t going to have any left over, that is exactly how it is when we set aside our time for God. But when you take your money and time from the top God provides exactly what we need. God bless

I really love having a candle. I always have one for a bath (yikes, too much information, sorry!), and I thought ‘why not’. It really does make a difference. So calming. Thanks for commenting! God bless!

I’m so glad you found the list helpful. I look at it frequently to remember that I need to slow down and take time to nurture my relationship with Christ. It is definitely an intentional choice to focus on Him first before the daily tasks of life get in the way. Thanks so much for commenting!

[…] the fullness, the magnitude of the beauty of this incredible time? Whether you follow my ideas in 7 Tips for Your Intentional Relationship with Christ or have your own routines, don’t let the time slide by. Take a bath, go for a walk away from the […]

[…] 7 Tips for Your Intentional Relationship with Christ by Loving Christ Ministries: I definitely need to be more intentional, and I think I will take her 7 tips and work through them to help me be more intentional in my private devotional time with God. […]

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